Late O’Neill free earns Pres draw in Nowlan Park Thriller

Presentation Secondary Kilkenny 0-13 St Flannan’s Ennis 2-07

A injury time free from Jenny O’Neill ensured Presentation dream of claiming back to back All Ireland titles lives on as they drew 0-13 points to 2-07 with St Flannan’s of Ennis in Nowlan Park on Saturday last.

The city side raced out of the traps and opened the scoring from Ciara Phelan in the second minute from twenty one meters. Jenny O’Neill doubled there advantage in the sixth minute from twenty one meters. Aoife Farrell extended Presentation’s lead a minute later with a well taken point from thirty five meters to make it 0-03 points to no score and Presentation were completely on top. Sarah Walsh put the cats four clear in the thirteenth minute when she brilliantly tapped over from twenty one meters. Eadaoin Murphy made it 0-05 points to no score a minute later, to finish a brilliant opening quarter from the city-side. Jenny O’Neill extended Presentation lead to six in the twentieth minute when she tapped over a free after Sarah Walsh was fouled. St Flannan’s were getting a bit more possession in the contest and were nearly in for a goal in the twenty third minute when Amy O’Brien found herself in behind the Presentation cover but the cats defence brilliantly recovered to block her goal bound shot out for a forty five which Sinead Quinn duly converted to open there account. Eoibheann Malone gave St Flannan’s a lifeline in the twenty eight minute when she got in for the opening goal of the contest, when she latched onto a long range Sinead Quinn free to blast to the back of the net from twenty one meters to only put two between the sides 0-06 points to 1-01 at the break. Presentation would of wondering how they only found themselves two points ahead after dominating possession for most of the opening half.

If Presentation raced out the traps in the opening half St Flannan’s were determined that lighting didn’t strike twice and got the opening five scores of the new half. Sinead Quinn started the burst with a free in the thirty first minute from forty five meters. Eoibheann Malone equalised the contest with a point a minute later before Lauren McGuane tapped over a point from twenty one meters to put St Flannan’s ahead for the first time 1-04 to 0-06 after thirty four minutes. Sinead Quinn then got two on the trot from a forty five in the thirty sixth minute before she tapped over a free from twenty five meters a minute later to make it 1-06 to 0-06. Eadaoin Murphy stopped the rot for the Presentation with a point from twenty one meters in the thirty ninth minute. Sinead Quinn responded for St Flannan’s with a free a minute later to put a goal in the game again 1-07 to 0-07. Presentation then got two points on the trot from a Jenny O’Neill free in the forty second minute before Sarah Walsh tapped over a point from twenty one meters in the forty fifth minute. Presentation were then hit a body blow in the forty eight minute when St Flannan’s got in for there second goal of the game when Amy O’Brien gained possession fourteen meters from goal to blast home to make it 2-07 to 0-09. Presentation bounced back well to get the last four scores of the game from Jenny O’Neill frees. O’Neill started the run with a massive free from forty five meters in the fiftieth minute. She followed this up with a further free from forty five minute in the fifty third minute. O’Neill then cut the gap to a solitary point when she tapped over a free from twenty one meters. Try as they might Presentation couldn’t get the equalising score, but they were late drama when Sarah Walsh gained possession twenty one meters from goal she gave the St Flannan’s defence no option only to foul her. Jenny O’Neill stepped up to the high pressure free and tapped it over to ensure Presentation got a share of the spoils and earn a replay on a 0-13 points to 2-07 scoreline. Time and venue of replay to be confirmed.

Scorers: Presentation SecondaryKilkenny– Jenny O’Neill 0-07 (6f), Sarah Walsh 0-02, Eadaoin Murphy 0-02, Aoife Farrell 0-01, Ciara Phelan 0-01. St Flannan’s Ennis – Sinead Quinn 0-05 (3 frees, 2 45s), Eoibheann Malone 1-01, Amy O’Brien 1-00, Lauren McGuane 0-01.

Presentation SecondaryKilkenny– Aoife Walsh, Aoife B Farrell, Lucy Power, Hannah Scott, Eimear Corr, Ciara Murphy, Aobha O’Gorman, Ciara Phelan, Eadaoin Murphy, Sarah Walsh, Jenny O’Neill, Eimear Donnelly, Aoife Farrell, Orlaith Conlon, Blathnaid Galway.

Subs – Aoife Glynn, Grainne Walsh, Ciara Treacy, Aine McDonald, Marita Butler, Jackie Rainey, Sarah Bergin, Caoimhe Treacy, Sinead Phelan, Aoife Whelan, Margaret O’Connell, Leanne Murray, Carrie Randle, Megan Randle, Ciara Delaney.

St Flannan’s Ennis – Doireann Murphy, Aleisha Malone, Emma O’Connell, Carol Browne, Chloe Devitt, Eoibheann Malone, Laura Brown, Sinead Quinn, Louise Brown, Aoife Keane, Zoe McInerney, Lauren McGuane, Louise Ryan, Claire Taffe, Amy O’Brien.

Subs: Chloe Mcaleer, Lauren Tuohy, Corina McMahon, Amie Wiley, Orla Kileen, Chloe Eustace, Jane Fitzgerald, Hannah Dinan.

Referee – Alan Lagrue (Kildare)